Eye catalepsy, it sounds a little frightening like some kind of ocular spasm, but it is actually one of the most effective ways to relax. Hypnotherapists use the eye catalepsy technique both to test trance level and to induce it. If a hypnotist asks you to close their eyes so tight that you couldn't open them if you wanted to, that is a set up to eye catalepsy. When you try to open your eyes, the hypnotic suggestion works to keep them shut and the eyelids tremble slightly, simulating REM sleep. That tremble is a sign of hypnotic eye catalepsy.

Men who suffer erectile dysfunction lose the enjoyment of the act because they face the odds that they might not be able to deliver on what they promise. They experience sexual performance anxiety. Hypnosis can treat erectile dysfunction and turn the anxiety of sexual performance into the relaxation of sensual rehearsal.

Some studies show that a hypnotic state influences the brain activity associated with memory. Other studies say there is not enough data to commit. The researchers usually point to the similarities between normal relaxation and hypnosis. What becomes clear from the findings is the idea that a deeply relaxed state helps the mind clear away most blocks to memory.

Scientists found that the alpha and theta brain wave frequencies relieve stress; facilitate deep physical relaxation and mental clarity; increase verbal ability and performance IQ; synchronize the two hemispheres of the brain; recall mental images and creative thinking and can reduce pain, promote euphoria and stimulate the release of endorphins.

Milton Erickson overcame two bouts of polio and a debilitating case of dyslexia to become the father of modern hypnotherapy. He broke new ground and changed psychotherapy. Ericksonian hypnosis is considered a more compassionate and permissive form of hypnotherapy than the authoritarian traditional methods. Erickson believed all the necessary resources for healing and transformation could be found in the unconscious.

One of the biggest myths of hypnosis is that intelligent people can’t be put under but one of the smartest historical figures in history swore by it. Noted physicist Albert Einstein used hypnotherapy to explore his creativity. The father of science reportedly came up with the theory of relativity during a self-hypnosis session.

Hypnosis and meditation are well known for their health benefits with regards to stress and overcoming bad habits, but recent study found that the alpha state that one achieves with hypnosis can also rejuvenate the mind.